Traveling bag



SePt- 15, 1942y .1.5. ARRowoovD 2,296,080

vTRAVELING BAG' Filed April 25, 1941" 2 Sheets-Sheet l um ff ,/oH/v 5. HREowooD :Suventor N www Cttomeg s sept. 15, 1942.

J. B. ARROWOOD TRAVELING BAG Filed Apilvas, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 2 Gftorneg 5 Patented Sept. 15, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRAVELING BAG.

John B. Arrowood, Concord, N. C. Application April 25, 1941, serial No. 390,295

(cl. 19o-43) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a container and more especially to a traveling bag so constructed that the cover can be unwound therefrom and thus display the contents in a more accessible manner. 'Ihe present invention is primarily adapted to receive wearingapparel, such as suits, dresses and the like, in a manner which will produce the minimum amount of wrinkling. When many articles of wearing apparel are packed in ordinary traveling bags, the articles are so wrinkled that it is necessary to press the same before using. Even if the apparel is skillfully packed to prevent wrinkling, such care must be taken with the bag, otherwise the apparel will be crushed during transportation.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a handbag, comprising a central open sided container disposed between two end pieces and a flexible cover secured to the container which cover is adapted to be wound around the container to envelop the space between the end pieces. Suitable spacer members are carried by the cover for holding the cover in spaced relation to the central container, thereby reinforcing the cover, and preventing crushing of the apparel within. In other words, when the cover is Wound around the container, and in spaced relation thereto, a suitable space is provided for receiving the contents, such as suits, dresses andthe like.

It is another object of this invention to provide means for removably uniting the end pieces and the edges of the cover. comprises conical rollers carried by the spacer members. These rollers are adapted to slide into re-entrant conical slots in the proximate faces of the end pieces when the cover is wound around the container to closed position. The slots are radially disposed relative to the cent/er of the end pieces and are so shaped and positioned that the conical rollers on the spacer members can enter the same only when the' cover is being Wound to closed position. Also when the rollers are disposed in the slots, the end pieces are more rmly united because they are connected by the cover.

By constructing a handbag as described above, suits, dresses and the like, may be suspended from the inside of the unwound cover, upon an ordinary coat hanger. After suspending the apparel, it is then wound around the container as an arbor along with the cover. Wound to closed position the conical rollers slidably penetrate the radial re-entrant portions of the end pieces, and at the same time the inner ends of the spacer members engage the exterior ofthe central container t'o prevent inward collapse of the cover. To display the contents of the container, the free end of the cover is unwound and then the free end of the cover is This uniting means.

As the cover isy suspended from a suitable hanger, at which time the apparel will also be unwound and displayed, using the cover as a background. The lower end of the cover will have the open side of the container attached thereto in which other articles may be placed.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an isometric view of my improved traveling bag shown in closed position;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2 2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view taken along lines 3 3 in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view, with the central portions thereof broken away, showing the traveling bag opened and in a suspended position;

Figure 5 is an isometric view similar to Figure 4, showing the entire traveling bag unfolded and in a suspended position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral III denotes suitable end pieces for my improved traveling bag, said end pieces being connected by a suitable container II. This container is adapted to receive suitable toilet articles such as shaving kits, towels and the like, and in order to coni-ine these articles, a suitable lid I3 is pivotally secured to the inside wall as at l3nt. The container also serves as an arbor to which one end of a suitable flexible cover I2 is attached as at I4.

An enlarged detail of one of the end pieces IU is shown in Figure 3, the other end-piece being opposite hand. It is here seen that each of the end pieces comprise a covering IB which is secured to the outside of an oval-shaped board member Il, and said board member having a substantially circular board member I8 secured to the central portion of its inner face by any suitable means such as screws I9. The

. members I 8 each have an integral radially projecting finger I8a to which the container member II is also secured. The fingers I Ba, along with members II and I3 serve as supports for the members 25 and 32 hereinafter to be described, these members 25 and 32 having their outer peripheries attached to the flexible cover I2. The peripheries of members I8 are disposed inwardly from the peripheries of the end pieces I0 and thus serve as edges to which the ends of the container II are attached. The ends of the container are secured to the members I8 by any suitable means such as nails or tacks 20.

The flexible cover I2 has a plurality of pairs of spacer members secured thereto. These spacer members are secured along the parallel edges of the cover and are adapted to be disposed in close proximity to the end boards I1, when4 substantially the same as the exposed proximate.

faces of the two end boards I'I. In other words,

by referring to Figure 2, it is seen that theinner edges of spacer members 25 to 32 inclusivenormally rest upon the exterior of the container II, and cover I3. The members 33 and 34 overT lap members 25 and 25 and are adapted to rest upon the edges of cover I2, when the bag is` closed. Therefore, when the bag is closed'the spacer members cover the entire inner face of end pieces I with theV exception of the areas coveredby members I8. the radial edges of the spacer members'25' to 34 inclusive nt against each other when the bag is closed as shown in Figure 2 thereby adding rigidity to all portions of the cover.

Each pair of members to 34 inclusive ale joined by a suitable reinforcing tie bar 40, These bars 40 serve to hold the spacer members apart from each other at a fixed distance, and also serve as a means for preventing the inward col'- lapse of the exible cover I2.

It will be noted that the spacer members 32 have a suspension bar 4I disposed therebetween from which a suitable hangar 43 may besuspended. This hanger may have garments such as suits, dresses or the like 44 placed thereon.

When the cover I2 is unwound` and in the position shown, in Figures 4 and 5, the handle 45 of the traveling bag may be suspended from a suitable wall hook 46. In this position, the garment 44 will be allowed to hang from the cross bar 4I in a normal position, and the container II will be disposed at the lower end of the cover with the open side facing upwardly, thus displaying the garment as well as the con.- tents which may be placed within the container.

Each of the spacer members 25 to 34 inclusive are connected to each other by any suitable means such as hinges 41. These hinges serve to keep the spacer members in alinement with each other and also serve to strengthen the, edges of the cover.

In order to provide a suitabletie between. the

edges of the cover and the end pieces Ill, each of the spacer members 26 to 33 inclusive4 is pro'- vided with a conical roller 43, each of said rollers being adapted to removably fit into an openended re-entrant slot 49. When the traveling bag is wound to closed position as shown in` Figures 1, 2 and 3, the heads of these conicalrollers are adapted to nt into the'slots 49'and thereby prevent the ends I0 from spreading-apart from each other. As the coverV I2 is unwound from the position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figures 4 and 5, the rollers will be removedl from the slots 49 in a radial direction thus exposing the container II and also displaying the garment 44 which is suspended from the cross bar 4I.

The free end of the cover I2 is provided with a suitable latch member 50 which cooperates with a member 5I to form a lock for the container. Also the cover I2 is4 provided with short supporting legs 52, whichv serve to hold the closed traveling bag in an upright position. Attention It should be noted that is called to the fact that the cover I2 is provided with rolled edges I2a (Figures 3 and 5) which fit close to the outside of the end pieces Il) when the bag is closed so as to prevent leakage.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A traveling bag comprising a container, an end piece disposed at each end of the container, a flexible elongated cover having one end thereof secured between saidgen'd pieces and being substantially, the same width as the container, spacer members carried by the edges of said cover and adapted to engage the periphery of the container.

when the bag is closed to thereby hold the cover in spaced relation to the container, means for rigidly connecting the spacer members along one edge of the cover with the corresponding spacer members along the other edge, thereby arranging the spacer members in pairs, and means for hingedly connecting said pairs together.

2. A traveling bag comprising a container, an end piece disposed at each end of the container, a flexible elongated coverhaving one end thereof secured between said end pieces and being substantially the same width as the container, spacer members carried by the edges of said cover and adapted to engage the periphery of the container when the bag is closed to thereby hold the cover in spaced relation to the container, means for rigidly connecting the spacer members along one edge of the cover with the corresponding spacer members along the other edge, thereby arranging the spacer members inv pairs, means for hingedly connecting said pairs together, and means for removably connecting said spacer members to the proximate faces of the end pieces as the cover is wound to closed` position.

3. A traveling bag comprising a container, end pieces closing the ends of the container and having` aV circumference substantially larger than the container, the proximate faces of the. end pieces having outwardly opening grooves stopping short of the container, a flexible cover having one end secured'to the container, said cover having secured along its edges one end of spacer members whose other ends are adapted to fit against thev container when. the cover is rolled around the container to hold the cover in spaced relation to the container, said. spacer members having means on their. remote sides for fitting into said grooves.

4. A traveling bag.comprisingfacontainer provided with end pieces of larger circumference than the container, aexiblecover having one endsecured between theV end pieces and adapted to bel wound aroundv the container, the edges of the cover having spacer members secured thereto, the proximate faces of. thev end pieces having substantially radial grooves therein, the spacer members having projections on their remote faces for entering said grooves as the cover is wound aroundthe container, the spacer -members being. formed so'that their free ends conform tothe shape ofj the4 container, and. their side edges .fit against thesideedges of, adjacent spacer members when the cover is wound. around .the container. Y

' JOHN B. ARROWOOD. 

